EFIS PFD - Flight Directors (iFly 747-400)

This is a Subsonic Flight Training briefing on the EFIS PFD Flight Director guidance display.
This Training Tips presentation will focus on the basics of Flight Director guidance, the difference between the Dual Cue versus Single Cue Flight Director systems, and how to manually fly flight director guidance commands.
For more video briefings, go to subsonicflighttraining.com

[@nickde6339]

Thank you so much. Finally a video on youtube that explains this as simple as possible.

[@subsonicflighttraining]

Appreciate the kind words and feedback...

[@tasnimewhida2573]

great video, Thank you very much!

[@evgi2329]

Great and simple explanation! Thank you!

[@subsonicflighttraining]

Glad it was helpful!

[@tonforr]

Thanks again!

[@jwdk7662]

Awesome video and explanations!

[@subsonicflighttraining]

Thanks so much JW, appreciate your thoughts and that you find them useful...

[@klx100]

Well done Captain :)!! I really enjoyed viewing the video and it is a very informative video :)!

[@subsonicflighttraining]

Thanks Dave, glad you enjoyed it...

[@grenzboy2730]

amazing video, thanks a lot 💪🏻

[@subsonicflighttraining]

You are welcome, my pleasure…

[@BobbyGeneric145]

Fwiw Im a newhire at Widget and they don't give training on dual cue. I came from 6,000 hours on v bars so its a big change!

[@subsonicflighttraining]

It does not take long to get used to it, then the more to use it, the more you like it over the V Bars...

[@kushagrabawa685]

Hello a great video.. helped a lot..can you please let me know which Simulator is this for practice ?

[@subsonicflighttraining]

Hi Kushagra, most of the videos were done some time ago (over a year) when I was using iFly 747-400, but I have since used PMDG 747-400 and 747-8, which is a much better simulator...

[@tzampini]

Love your videos. I have a couple questions about the flight director: When doing an ILS approach, should you be looking at the FD (pitch and roll bars), or should you be looking at the glideslope and localizer pink diamonds? As you can probably tell, I'm just a simmer, not a professional pilot. :)

[@subsonicflighttraining]

No, that is a good question. On an ILS Approach hand flown, you are glued to any movement of the pitch and roll bar from the circle of the Aircraft Symbol. If the roll bar or pitch bar starts to deviate from center, you make a small, but immediate correction to keep the FD Dual Cue centered in the circle. But, at the same time, we do not blindly follow Flight Directors, so we are also scanning supporting actors on our Flight Instruments, two of which would be LOC and GS deviation, but the focus is not that when hand flying the jet to minimums. The lower you get, the more small and smooth your corrections have to be to stay on the LOC and GS to minimums and then through the transition from minimums to the runway staying on profile...

[@tzampini]

@@subsonicflighttraining Thanks for that thorough explanation. It's very helpful.

[@markcardwell]

Thx Capt. I was wondering if in FD dual que, is the intersection the same as what the flight path vector would be?

[@subsonicflighttraining]

No, the command given by the dual cue represents the roll and pitch as a function of what is commanded by the AFDS (Autopilot Flight Director System). The FPV would represent the actual flight path through the air as a result of what the pilot or A/P is commanding. So, for example, in level flight the pitch component of the dual cue may be at 2.5 degrees, but the FPV will be on the horizon to maintain level flight..

[@markcardwell]

@@subsonicflighttraining thx Capt. Your brain is awesome

[@subsonicflighttraining]

@@markcardwell Not really Mark, but thank you, it is just being experienced and being an instructor and examiner for so many years...

[@Nik888100]

Thanks very much

[@subsonicflighttraining]

My pleasure Nika...

[@blackbirda3797]

@@subsonicflighttraining Sir, at the G/S + FD modes , do pilots depend on the FD or thier personal sensations to adjust the status of the airplane for landing?

[@subsonicflighttraining]

On approach and landing, it is all about pitch, power, and speed. The FD assists the pilot in tracking both laterally (localizer) and vertically (glideslope) across a designated path leading to a straight in approach and landing. Small changes in pitch are used to stay on the GS and small changes in power, maintain the desired approach speed. Pilots concentrate on following the FD guidance, as long as it is valid guidance to maintain stabilized approach criteria. From about 100 feet to landing, the pilot transitions to fully visual for landing without reference to FD’s. The flare is started around 30 feet with power gradually being reduced to idle thrust. The pitch is about 2 to 3 degrees total change in the flare, from a pitch of about 1 degree to a pitch of about 4 degrees. This is all done from feel and visual cues as you look down the last 1/3 of runway. The pilot is also reducing a crab if one was held in a crosswind, using aileron into the wind and opposite rudder to straighten the nose for landing. Depending on the crosswind will depend on how much crab is taken out. Landing in a crab is allowed, then straightening the nose with rudder before applying reverse thrust. Some aileron is held into the wind to counter drift...

[@blackbirda3797]

@@subsonicflighttraining Many thanks for this detailed illustration....never expected that from a professional aviator...God bless you 🌻🌻🌻

[@subsonicflighttraining]

My pleasure Blackbird, thanks for viewing my videos and finding some value to them, God bless you and your family as well...

[@mjmqubesi]

Do pilots use follow FD's when landing using ILS? Flare?

[@subsonicflighttraining]

Yes, the FD’s are used for an ILS Approach, but not for the flare and landing, that is done by feel and controlling rate of descent by changing pitch during the flare. The flare usually starts around 30 feet when manually flying and pitch changes around 2 to 3 degrees only when you transition visually down the runway to judge flare...

[@a300pilotster]

up and down are easy corrections. The bank is the one. duel cue does not telly how much bank.

[@subsonicflighttraining]

Yes, you are right, the FD is giving you commands to put you at a bank angle dependent on what mode you are in: HDG SEL, LNAV. It is up to the pilot to smoothly apply bank to center the roll bar with the circle of the aircraft symbol, like a gun sight. If hand flying, we still scan what pitch and roll the FD is giving us so we do not just blindly follow the Flight Director...

[@cirrus9me882]

Exactly. When hand flying, and LNAV or LOC commands a turn, how much bank are you using? Bank until the roll cue is centered and then begin a smooth roll out?

[@subsonicflighttraining]

@@cirrus9me882 Yes, that is correct, when the roll bar moves, you move, smoothly. When in LOC mode the moves are very small and the lower you get, the more you are focused on any movement away from center to re-establish center of the aircraft symbol centered with the cross-hairs...

[@cirrus9me882]

@@subsonicflighttraining thank you for the reply. I’m having trouble initially capturing the loc while hand flying. Once on the localizer it’s not an issue but I feel like I’m getting behind the plane by blowing through the localizer and S turning around it. Do you have any videos detailing hand flown instrument approaches?Thank you for the info.

[@subsonicflighttraining]

@@cirrus9me882 Many times, it depends on what the intercept angle is that you are intercepting from. For example, if you are intercepting from a 50 degree intercept angle, you are going to S Turn your way back on the LOC because the intercept angle is high. ATC generally has guidelines that they put you on a 30 degree or less intercept angle to prevent overshoots and S Turning. As a 747 instructor in the simulator acting as ATC, I always give a maximum of 30 degree intercept to the LOC from Radar Vectors...